DONIPHAN, Mo. — A Doniphan mother is seeking answers and accountability after her 9-year-old autistic son ingested pea gravel while under school supervision. Ca
A mother is demanding accountability after her child was rushed to the hospital after eating gravel at school. DONIPHAN, Mo. — A Doniphan mother is seeking answers and accountability after her 9-year-old autistic son ingested pea gravel while under school supervision.
Candi Whitlow discovered the shocking incident on February 25 when her son returned home from school with rocks in his stool. An emergency room visit revealed gravel throughout his intestinal tract. "We were not expecting what we saw when we got the x-ray at all," Whitlow said, describing her reaction to the x-ray results. Whitlow, whose son is nonverbal, said he did not eat the gravel at home, leading her to believe it happened at Doniphan R-1 Intermediate School. She emphasized the importance of constant supervision for her son, who requires special care due to his autism. "You send your kid to school thinking they're going to be in an environment that is nurturing and they're going to be in an environment where professionals are knowledgeable about autism and what their needs are. But needs have not been met," Whitlow said. After contacting the school, Whitlow learned from Superintendent Mike Owen that surveillance footage showed her son eating gravel on the playground. Although the school refused to release the video, Whitlow was able to view it. "Watching the video from the day prior, before we took him to the emergency room, you could see him bend over a few times in the video and see he put rocks in his mouth," Whitlow said. "We only caught her on the video one time right before they went inside for recess digging rocks out of his mouth." A police report from Corporal Kevin Vaillancourt of the Doniphan Police Department confirmed that the footage showed the aide, Goldie Hall, supervising Whitlow's son on the playground. Hall reportedly had him spit something out of his mouth at one point. Hall told police she was suspended due to the incident but claimed she never saw the boy eat a "significant" amount of gravel. In her statement to police, Hall alleged that the boy's regular aide and teacher were asleep in the classroom when she picked him up. This was the first time Whitlow heard these allegations, leaving her feeling blindsided and horrified. "The hard part is, my son is non-speaking so it's like he can't tell me. This is what we know, but what do we not know," Whitlow said. Superintendent Owen confirmed Hall is no longer employed at the district. In a statement, he said, "The district promptly investigates complaints and takes the necessary remedial steps in response. We encourage students and families to bring any concerns to our attention so they may be addressed appropriately and in a timely manner." Whitlow expressed concern that the school is not addressing the new allegations adequately and called for more resources for special education classrooms. "I feel like our school has a lot of work to do in terms of making sure that not only my child but any other child in special education is getting the care and the education that they need," she said. Whitlow's son is reportedly doing okay, but she continues to push for accountability and improvements in the school's handling of special education needs.
News Nation & World School Special Education Investigation Emergency Room Supervisión Instagram Newsletter Daily Accountability Autistic
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Hawaii man freed after 30 years in prison visits mother's grave and ponders ubiquitous cellphonesA Hawaii man released after spending 30 years in prison for a murder he has always denied committing has spent his first day of freedom visiting his mother's gravesite and marveling at how much the world is different. Gordon Cordeiro spoke Saturday in an interview with The Associated Press.
Read more »
Hawaii man freed after 30 years in prison visits mother's grave and ponders ubiquitous cellphonesA Hawaii man released after spending 30 years in prison for a murder he has always denied committing has spent his first day of freedom visiting his mother's gravesite and marveling at how much the world is different.
Read more »
Hawaii man freed after 30 years in prison visits mother's grave and ponders ubiquitous cellphonesA Hawaii man released after spending 30 years in prison for a murder he has always denied committing has spent his first day of freedom visiting his mother's gravesite and marveling at how much the world is different.
Read more »
Hawaii man freed after 30 years in prison visits mother's grave and ponders ubiquitous cellphonesA Hawaii man released after spending 30 years in prison for a murder he has always denied committing has spent his first day of freedom visiting his mother's gravesite and marveling at how much the world is different.
Read more »
Fifteen-year-old boy accused of shooting mother and sisterA 15-year-old boy was in custody accused of shooting his mother and sister in north Houston.
Read more »
Mother seeks answers after son shot, killed in triple shootingA triple shooting left three friends dead, and now loved ones are hoping you can provide some answers to help solve these murders.
Read more »